Author: FFXnow.com

Virginia Economic Slowdown Predicted — “Virginia’s economy faces another slowdown and the loss of more than 10,000 jobs this year, University of Virginia researchers said in a new report, and Northern Virginia could once again play an outsized role in the downturn.” The forecast found that Virginia’s economy often “underperformed” compared to the U.S. overall last year, particularly during the federal government shutdown in October. [WTOP]

Murder Suspect Had Been Previously Convicted — The man accused of fatally stabbing a woman at a bus stop in Hybla Valley last month had previously served two years in prison for attacking another man near a 7-Eleven on Richmond Highway in February 2023. “Jalloh wasn’t out of jail long before he was arrested again two times, and that triggered a probation violation.” Prosecutors, however, didn’t ask for five years of prison time that had been suspended to be imposed. [NBC4]

Dog Belonged to Stabbing Suspect — “The Virginia State Police (VSP) said the dog that was stabbed and killed during a road rage incident on Interstate 495 in Fairfax County belonged to the suspect. VSP said on Tuesday that it is continuing to investigate the deadly stabbing stemming from a road rage incident that happened southbound of I-495 at exit 52.” [DC News Now]

Menstrual Products Bill Heads to Governor — “House Bill 998 by Del. Holly Seibold, D-Fairfax, would require ingredient labels be listed on all menstrual products sold in Virginia, an effort to better inform consumers about possibly toxic substances in the reproductive health items. Having passed both the House of Delegates and cleared the Virginia Senate Monday, it now heads to Gov. Abigail Spanberger for her signature, amendment or veto.” [Virginia Mercury]

By-Right Housing Bills Move Forward — “Despite opposition from Alexandria and other Northern Virginia localities, bills permitting by-right multifamily development in commercial zones are advancing in the Virginia General Assembly.” Del. Dan Helmer’s HB 816 was advanced to the full Senate on Monday (March 2) with an amendment that set an expiration date of July 1, 2031, while the Senate version of the bill was read a second time by the House of Delegates yesterday (Tuesday). [ALXnow]

Vacant Seven Corners Offices Sold — “A small, long-vacant office building at 6320 Castle Place in Seven Corners has been sold for $2.7 million, reports Pauline Thompson, president of Tysons Realty Inc … The building had previously housed MVI Post, a family-owned post-production media company that filed for bankruptcy in 2009.” [Annandale Today]

New Chief Justice Sworn In — “On Monday, the Honorable Cleo E. Powell was formally sworn into her new role as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Virginia. She is the first Black woman to serve as the chief justice in Virginia, and is the only member of the state’s Supreme Court to have served as a judge at each level of Virginia’s judicial branch,” according to the state bar. [VPM News]

GMU Basketball Team Wins Playoffs Spot — “The George Mason women’s basketball team has captured a share of the 2026 Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship — the first regular season conference title in program history. The Patriots closed league play with a program-best 16-2 conference record, marking their strongest Atlantic 10 ever.” [GMU]

It’s Wednesday — Expect rain after 4pm, with a cloudy sky and a high near 52. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation with less than a tenth of an inch possible. At night, there’s a 70% chance of rain, with cloudy conditions and a low around 49. [NWS]

There’s more local news to explore. Check out WSHnow, with stories from around the region.

Potomac River Advisory Lifted — “D.C. health officials are lifting a recreational advisory on the Potomac River, citing an improvement in water quality after a sewage line collapsed in January. A section of the Potomac Interceptor collapsed Jan. 19, spilling hundreds of millions of gallons of untreated sewage into the river and creating a stinky environmental disaster.” [WTOP]

Local Iranian Americans Split on Bombings — “Iranian Americans in the D.C. region are expressing sharply different views of the U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran over the weekend, and whether the attacks will move Iran closer to a goal they share: safety and a better future for Iranians.” [WTOP]

Fundraiser to Help Stabbing Victims’ Family — “The Virginia Chapter of the Non-Resident Nepali Association has organized a fundraising campaign to support the remaining family of the victims of a brutal stabbing rampage by Chhatra Thapa, 54, on Feb. 23 in Fairfax. Thapa killed his wife, Binda Thapa, 52, and daughter, Mamta, 33, a nurse.” [Annandale Today]

Worker Assaulted During 7-Eleven Robbery — “City of Fairfax police arrested a juvenile suspect who they say seriously assaulted a convenience store employee on Monday morning. Officers responded around 5 a.m. to investigate the report of a robbery at the 7-Eleven located at 3965 Jermantown Road.” [Patch]

Rules for AI in Education Considered — “As schools adopt AI and students spend more time on screens, state lawmakers have questions about the technology’s impact on students’ safety, critical thinking and learning skills. Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, said due to these concerns, lawmakers and educators are now trying to keep pace with rapid AI advancements.” [Virginia Mercury]

Tulips to Take Over National Mall — “Tulip Day marks the beginning of spring with a massive, 150,000-flower display of freshly bloomed tulips in the heart of D.C. The event is from 11:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. on Sunday, March 15. Ticket-holding visitors will be able to pick their own bouquet, with a limit of 10 flowers per person.” [NBC4]

Meeting on Oakton Traffic Study Coming — “The Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) will hold a second public meeting for the Oakton Congestion and Safety Study on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, 7 p.m., in the cafeteria of Oakton High School.” Staff will present an analysis of existing conditions and seek feedback on proposed improvements that came out of a public workshop in November. [FCDOT]

Trail Advocates Win National Recognition — “Friends of the Mount Vernon Trail, a volunteer group dedicated to trail maintenance and education efforts, was recognized with an award last month for its trail renovation work. The organization was honored with the ‘Trail of the Year’ award from the Public Lands Alliance at the nonprofit’s conference in Daytona Beach,” Florida. [ALXnow]

It’s Tuesday — Expect a 70% chance of rain before 2pm and possibly after 5pm, with cloudy skies and a high near 48. At night, there’s an 80% chance of rain after 7pm, with a low around 45, accumulating another tenth to a quarter-inch. [NWS]

Want more local news? Check out our newest sister site, WSHnow, with the latest from across the region.

Driver Killed at I-66 Rest Stop — “A driver was killed Saturday afternoon when their Toyota sedan struck a parked tractor-trailer at the eastbound Interstate 66 rest area near Manassas and then caught fire … State police said it appears the Toyota struck the rear of a legally parked tractor-trailer. Following the impact, the car burst into flames.” [Inside NoVA]

Social Media Restrictions Blocked — “A federal judge on Friday blocked Virginia from enforcing a new law that aimed to protect children from being addicted to social media by requiring age verification and limiting use by those under 16 to one hour per day.” Signed by former Gov. Glenn Youngkin and in effect as of Jan. 1, the law was challenged by the technology trade group NetChoice. [Reuters]

Pedestrian Injured in Annandale Crash — A woman was transported to a hospital with life-threatening injuries on Saturday (Feb. 28) after she was struck by a vehicle while crossing the road near John Marr Drive and Ravensworth Road. John Marr Drive was closed for a period as detectives investigated before reopening shortly before 9 p.m. that evening. [FCPD/X]

Winner of $1M From Lottery Identified — “A retired electrician has won $1 million from a Powerball ticket purchased in Annandale, the Virginia Lottery announced on Feb. 24. The lottery winner bought the ticket at the Express 1 Food Mart at 4713 Backlick Road on Dec. 13. It took him a month to realize he had a winning ticket.” [Annandale Today]

Reston Native Sets Powerlifting Record — “Most people are enjoying retirement at 75. But for Reston native Becky Lane, that milestone marked a new beginning: On Feb. 14, she stepped onto a powerlifting platform for the first time and broke the national record three times. With that, Lane is headed to Anaheim, Calif., near the end of May to compete on the national stage.” [Fairfax Times]

Outdoor Furniture Store Nears Opening — “A Fortunoff Backyard Store is slated to open in Springfield in April, just in time for spring outdoor furniture shopping. The company sells high-end outdoor furniture and patio accessories. Fortunoff leased 11,000 square feet at the Springfield Commons shopping center, 6721B Frontier Drive.” [Washington Business Journal]

Women’s Day Protest Planned — “Herndon-Reston Indivisible is hosting a International Women’s Day Protest on Sunday, March 8, 2 to 3:30 p.m., at the corner of Reston Parkway and Baron Cameron Avenue.” The grassroots organization says the protest is intended to rally “support for women everywhere, specifically the women who are victims of Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump.” [Patch]

Lacrosse Tournament Offers Olympics Preview — “Many of the world’s best lacrosse players are in town for the kickoff of the Lexus Championship Series on Friday night at the St. James in Springfield … Rachael DeCecco, senior vice president of lacrosse for both [the Premiere and Women’s] leagues, said it will be an exciting preview of what to expect in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.” [WTOP]

It’s Monday — A cloudy day is expected with a high near 36 and a 50% chance of precipitation. Snow may fall starting from 1pm. At night, snow could turn into rain or freezing rain between 1am and 4am with a low around 30 and 80% chance of precipitation. Accumulations of ice and snow are expected to be minimal. [NWS]

Evacuated Homes Could Be Cleared Soon — “Nearly two weeks after a gas leak sparked a home explosion in the Centreville area of Fairfax County, families who were forced to evacuate are finally preparing to return home.” The number of evacuated homes “has now dropped to 19, and officials say those remaining families are expected to be cleared to return as soon as late Thursday night or early Friday morning.” [DC News Now]

Water Activities to Return to Potomac River — “DC Health is set to lift the advisory against recreational contact with the Potomac River in Washington, D.C., weeks after a sewer line ruptured and spilled more than 240 million gallons of raw sewage and wastewater into the waterway. Beginning Monday, residents can boat, fish and let dogs splash along the shoreline in the D.C. section of the river (swimming is not permitted in D.C. waters).” [NBC4]

Bank Moving Corporate HQ to Tysons — “Freedom Financial Holdings Inc., the parent company of the Freedom Bank of Virginia, is relocating its corporate headquarters from Fairfax city to 1750 Tysons Blvd. next month, President and CEO Joe Thomas told me in an interview this week. It’s also opening a new branch there.” Freedom’s home of more than 20 years at 10555 Main Street will still serve as its bank HQ with a branch and operations center. [Washington Business Journal]

Lane Closures on I-395 in Springfield — “Weather permitting, the northbound and southbound I-395 general purpose lanes and 395 Express Lanes will have lane closures at Edsall Road (Route 648/Exit 2) Friday night, Feb. 27; Saturday, Feb. 28; and Sunday morning, March 1, for bridge work … Drivers are reminded to use caution when traveling in active work zones.” [VDOT]

Police Raise Alarm About Home Burglaries — “Police are investigating a string of home burglaries targeting Asian Americans in Fairfax County. The thieves have reportedly taken half a million dollars in cash, jewelry, clothing, handbags and even gold bars. According to the Fairfax County Police Department, the eight burglaries happened within the last two months.” [WUSA9]

Bill to Clarify Legislative Language Finds Support — “HB1299 defines the word ‘shall’ in state code to mean something is mandatory, not just ‘directory,’ or a suggestion. Bill patron and Fairfax Democratic Delegate Karrie Delaney said the bill was needed in the wake of state court rulings that downgraded ‘shall’ to not being required, and, after being in the chamber for almost a decade, she was sick of it.” [WVTF]

Former Federal Workers Reflect on Past Year — Since President Donald Trump took office for a second term in January 2025, “more than 300,000 people left the government through a combination of firings, layoffs, and resignations … The 51st spoke to seven former federal workers to hear how their job losses affected them, what they’ve been up to since, and where they hope to go next.” [The 51st]

FCPD Taps New Communications Director — “Chief Kevin Davis has promoted Alaina Gertz to Director of Communications for the Fairfax County Police Department.” Serving as deputy communications director since joining the FCPD in 2023, Gertz previously worked for D.C.’s police department, managing media relations during major events like the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021 and the 2019 World Series championship festivities. [FCPD]

Bailey’s Crossroads Car Wash Advances — “The Fairfax County Planning Commission on Feb. 25 recommended approval of a proposal to add a carwash facility at Radley Acura in Bailey’s Crossroads. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to hold a hearing on the proposal on March 17.” [Annandale Today]

It’s Friday — Expect a mostly sunny day with highs around 53°F and calm winds becoming southerly at 5 mph in the afternoon. The evening will be mostly clear with lows near 38°F and south winds between 3 and 6 mph. [NWS]